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This fatal inclined railway incident in Lisbon that cost 16 people in the beginning of September was attributed to a damaged wire, as stated by the authoritative investigation released on Monday.

The probe has advised that the city's equivalent transports stay non-operational until their security can be fully assured.

Details of the Deadly Accident

This accident occurred when the historic Glória funicular left the rails and crashed into a building, horrifying the metropolis and raising significant worries about the reliability of ageing visitor sites.

The country's air and rail accident investigations bureau (the bureau) reported that a line linking two cabins had disconnected moments before the crash on September 3rd.

Preliminary Conclusions

This early report stated that the wire failed to meet the specified standards set by the city's public transport company.

This line was not in compliance with the specifications in force to be utilized for the Glória cable car.

This comprehensive document additionally urged that all cable cars in the city should be kept suspended until inspectors can confirm they have adequate stopping mechanisms designed of halting the cabins in the scenario of a wire failure.

Victims and Casualties

Of the sixteen casualties, eleven were foreign nationals, featuring three UK citizens, 2 citizens of South Korea, 2 citizens of Canada, one Frenchwoman, a Swiss, one citizen of the United States, and a Ukrainian.

This incident also harmed around 20 individuals, including three UK nationals.

Among the local victims featured 4 employees from the equivalent welfare organization, whose workplace are situated at the peak of the steep side road used by the cable car.

Historical Context

The Glória funicular first opened in 1885, using a method of counterweights to drive its 2 cars along its 265-metre route climbing and descending a steep incline.

According to the bureau, a regular examination on the morning of the incident identified nothing unusual with the cable that later broke.

This investigators also noted that the operator had engaged the cable car's stopping mechanism, but they were incapable to stop the carriage without the function of the counterweight system.

This entire event transpired in just 50 seconds, according to the inquiry.

Next Measures

This agency is expected to issue a definitive report with operational recommendations within the next year, though an intermediary document may provide further details on the progress of the investigation.